The dart board, often referred to as the "clock", is usually about 18" in diameter and has a playing area of about 13". The dart board has a double outer ring, a treble-value inner ring, and generally, two center bull rings (outer and inner), and 20 adjacent numbered scoring areas. In a standard dart games, the players throw darts at the circular target aiming for the different scoring areas. However, due to the danger associated with sharp, metal-pointed darts, electronically scored dart games using "soft-tip" darts were developed.
Electronically scored dart games are generally well-known in the art and are commercially available from a variety of sources, including Merit Industries, Inc., the assignee of the present invention. Such dart games generally comprise a cabinet or housing with a decorative front surface which includes a specialized dart board adapted to receive, capture, and hold one or more darts having a tip made of a flexible plastic with a relatively blunt point. Soft-tip darts of this type closely resemble conventional metal-tip darts in appearance, flight characteristics and target-striking characteristics, but are much safer in that they are incapable of piercing a person's skin or causing damage to walls or other surroundings adjacent to the dart board.
Generally, an electronically scored dart board comprises a circular target divided into different scoring areas, with each scoring area including a target segment. The target segments, which are usually formed of a plastic material, are arranged in an array or pattern which generally corresponds to scoring areas of a traditional dart board. Each target segment has a target surface, which includes a plurality of generally circular openings sized for receiving and holding a tip of a plastic-tipped dart. The target segments are each independently slidably supported within a surrounding support structure, commonly referred to as a spider, having a plurality of circumferential and radially extending ribs which define target segment openings.
Generally, a single bulls-eye segment or a split bulls-eye, comprised of an outer bull segment and an inner bull segment, is located at the center of the board. A single bulls-eye segment is similar to the other target segments in that it is slidably supported in an opening in the spider. In the case of a split bulls-eye, the outer bulls-eye segment is slidably disposed in the circumferential center rib opening in the spider, similar to a single bulls-eye segment. The inner bull segment is generally slidably disposed in a center opening in the outer bull segment and is supported solely by the outer bull segment. When the tip of a dart is received within a target segment or a bull segment, the force of the dart striking the target or bull segment results in the target or bull segment moving rearwardly in its opening with respect to the support structure.
Each target segment, including the outer and inner bull segments, have corresponding electrical contacts combined into a switch matrix mounted on a surface behind the target segments. The electrical contacts generate an electrical signal to indicate a score when a target plate slides rearwardly after receiving a dart. Electronics associated with the game sense each such score signal, calculate the score for each player, and provide an indication of each player's score on a visual display, such as plurality of lights, light-emitting diodes or a cathode ray tube.
Although the electronically scored dart games have been well received, skilled players are sometimes reluctant to use an electronic board because of the possibility of the darts not sticking or of a misread. Dart games are games of great skill, and it is important that the electronic game keep score as accurately as possible, with the possibility of misscoring or misreads being virtually zero. However, in the known electronic dart board apparatus, it is possible to have a misread when a dart strikes the outer bull segment or the inner bull segment. Because the inner bull segment is generally solely supported by the outer bull segment, it is possible that even though a dart strikes the inner bull, both segments move inward and contact the corresponding electrical contacts generating an electrical signal which indicates an outer bull strike. For skilled players, even one misread in 100 throws is unacceptable.
The present invention overcomes the drawbacks associated with the generally-known inner bull segments which are supported by the outer bull segments for electronic dart board apparatuses by providing an independent mounting system for the inner bull segment.